DONEGAL defender Caolan Ward believes the intensity of their in-house games has helped bring them to a new level.
Declan Bonner has carried a 30-man squad that is relatively small squad in terms of the top end of the inter-county game, and which is now being tested to the limit.
Injury has taken Eoghan Bán Gallagher out for the rest of the campaign, while Paddy McGrath and Neil McGee both missed the draw with Kerry.
Hugh McFadden and Jason McGee were then forced off injured during the game (and Niall O’Donnell was black carded), while Patrick McBrearty is now a fresh injury worry for the trip to Castlebar on Saturday.
Ward was one of those drafted in against Kerry for what was his first championship start of the summer, where he ended up one-on-one with Paul Geaney for a lot of the day.
“The way we train; the boys would’ve matched that,” says Ward.
“Training is at a level now where anyone between one and 30 are ready to step in. That’s down to the individual characteristics of the player and you can’t let your head drop.
“You’d be doing yourself a disservice and the team a disservice if you’re not ready to answer that call. The players who got that call the last day, there was no question over their ability. They’d been working away for maybe three or four months. You know the level you are training at.
“I’d be marking any one of the inside forward line – Paddy, Michael, Jamie or Oisin. Any one of them will give you a task. They’re different challenges.
“Every year, at the time, you think ‘training is mad here’ but now nothing stays the same. You have to try and prove yourself. Last year maybe it showed I wasn’t good enough so we’ve had to change it up a bit.
“Declan had brought in Stephen and it’s brought a bit of freshness and we’re in a great condition because of the work of (S&C team) Paul Fisher and Aaron Kyles, the medical team and the nutritionist Ronan (Doherty).
“We’re trying to look after ourselves like professional athletes. Even the days you’re not training you’re trying to recover or hydrate yourself or going to the sea and such.”
The 26-year-old St Eunan’s man was first brought in by Rory Gallagher and has had chances here and there in his four years involved, but the Kerry game was his biggest outing to date.
In a game that the summer will find hard to surpass for quality and excitement, the injuries took no toll on Donegal as they put Peter Keane’s side on the back foot throughout.
“It was great to get the shout. I’m relatively now, only about three or four years so it’s great to get the chance like that.
“It’s always something you’ll remember and cherish. We’re disappointed we didn’t win the game. The dressing room was very quiet at the end. We felt we are good enough in this day and age to be winning games like that.
“Maybe in days gone by you would be hopeful more than confident travelling to Croke Park. But we went up there with full belief we could beat Kerry.
“We’re in another big game now and it’ll be a big occasion and an opportunity to put Donegal back into a semi-final.”
